Begonia is one of the most popular and common indoor plants in our country. Some of its varieties are bred because of very beautiful leaves, some because of spectacular colors. Of course, in order for this plant, planted in a pot on the windowsill, to please the eye, you need to take care of it correctly.
Homeland begonia room
The main distribution area of this plant in the wild is the tropics and subtropics of Africa, Asia and America. Most varieties of begonias grow in moist, dense forests. However, you can meet her and high in the mountains, and on the rocks, and even on other plants. Unfortunately, nothing is known about where it was first found. There is only a legend according to which the monk Plushier brought begonia in the 17th century from the island of Haiti. Since Governor Begon, the then-famous collector of rare plants, organized this expedition, a new exotic flower was named after him.
So, we will assume that the homeland of room begonia is the sunny island of Haiti. What are the features of this plant and which varieties of it are most popular? Let's deal with this in more detail.
Characteristics
The homeland of begonia, a houseplant beloved by many, is the sunny and humid regions of the planet’s largest continents. This determines the diversity of their appearance. However, there are several common signs by which begonia can be distinguished. This is primarily a juicy stem with two stipules and asymmetrical leaves. The flowers of these houseplants are collected in inflorescences, and the fruit is a trihedral box with many small seeds.
Since the homeland of room begonia (photos of this wonderful plant can be seen on this page) is hot countries, its flowers are also rich in colors. There are specimens with terry, camelliform or ordinary flowers - yellow, white, pink, orange, etc. Of course, most modern varieties are artificially bred. However, in the wild, begonia blooms quite spectacularly. As already mentioned, some forms of this plant are bred because of beautiful leaves, the color of which can vary from bright green to bronze or red.
Main varieties
At the moment, in the apartments of gardeners, you can find such types of begonias :
- with decorative leaves;
- with beautiful flowers;
- shrubby.
There are also lianas, reaching a length of three meters. However, such forms are rarely used as indoor plants.
The most popular varieties and hybrids are:
- Royal begonia. This is one of the most exotic species with very beautiful colorful leaves.
- Tiger begonia. A plant with large spotty green leaves. The homeland of tiger begonia is also humid rainforest. This is a very bright and beautiful variety, hence its popularity.
- Everlasting. Also quite spectacular look.
- Coral
Begonia with beautiful leaves
The homeland of begonias of this form is humid, dense forests, in which sunlight rarely falls on its leaves after rain. Therefore, such begonias should be watered only in the morning or in the evening. Otherwise, their leaves due to burns very quickly lose their attractive appearance. Almost all varieties of this begonia need an annual transplant. Plants of this variety propagate by leafy cuttings or division.
Flowering begonia
Lighting this form requires pretty good. However, like all types of begonia, beautifully flowering need to be closed from direct sunlight. In addition, this form requires abundant watering, especially during flowering. There are both ordinary and bulbous varieties. The former often bloom year-round. Bulbous begonias usually have a dormant period. In winter, they are transferred to a cool room. The homeland of begonia (houseplant with beautiful flowers) of this variety is also the warm regions of America, Asia or Africa. During flowering, beautifully flowering forms should be fed.
Royal begonia
The home begonia of this species is India (Assam). Its large leaves can be painted in a variety of colors. Sometimes bright veins cut through them, sometimes they are covered with spectacular spots of unusual shapes - pink, silver, violet, cream-green, silver, etc. The roots of this type of begonia are very close to the surface of the earth, and therefore they plant this plant in shallow containers . Royal begonia blooms not too beautiful. Its inflorescences on long stems are recommended by experienced lovers of indoor plants to remove. This will only increase the decorative value of the plant.
Everlasting begonia
This is one of the most unpretentious species. For those who do not have time for too thorough and thorough care of indoor plants, it will do just fine. The homeland of evergreen begonia is Brazil. In 1821, it was from this country that it was first brought to the Berlin Botanical Garden. In addition to unpretentiousness, the main advantage of this species is the ability to bloom all year round. From here its name actually went. Until recently, evergreen begonia was mainly used to decorate flower beds. However, many hybrids have now been bred that feel very good in pots at room conditions.
Tiger species
The homeland of room tiger begonia is the tropics, and therefore, like all other species, it loves plentiful watering and diffused bright sunlight. It is a hybrid of the famous beauty - the Bauer begonia. Its main distinguishing feature is very large leaves of saturated green color with effectively located brown or lettuce spots. Like the royal begonia, the flowers of this variety of decorative value do not represent. Therefore, it is recommended to pluck them.
Coral begonia
In this variety, both leaves and flowers have decorative value. This explains its popularity. The homeland of coral begonia, as well as ever flowering, is Brazil. This is a direct growing, fairly high (up to a meter) variety. Her green leaves with interesting white and silver dots from below turn red in the summer. This determined the name of coral begonia. This variety is also considered quite unpretentious. The only thing - coral begonia owners should not forget about watering.
How to care
So, as you already understood, begonia is a plant that is not indifferent to good watering and bright diffused light. Homeland begonias and soil composition - things are also interrelated. Since the soil in tropical forests is saturated with decayed plant debris, at home, all varieties of these indoor flowers respond to fertilizers very well.
Begonia should be placed in the immediate vicinity of the windows, but so that direct sunlight does not fall on their leaves and flowers. These indoor plants should be watered in the summer periodically, preventing the soil from drying out. Moisturizing too often for these colors is also detrimental, so don't overdo it. In winter, the frequency of watering is slightly reduced.
Begonia is usually fertilized only in spring and summer, every two weeks. Very convenient for them are the usual complex dressings for decorative flowers. These plants are planted in loose and nutritious soil. Its composition may be something like this: sheet land and peat (2 parts each), coarse sand (1 part).
As you can see, this plant is quite unpretentious and at the same time characterized by high decorative qualities. Using it to decorate apartments and offices is definitely worth it. This applies to both flowering forms and varieties with spectacular leaves.